Here's a list of important topics that should really be given much more attention in the blogosphere:
- Was there actually an Ansel Savage that lived in the caves of Newbury's "west woods" ?
- Was there anything better than a Sports Haven chicken hoagie after cutting 5 acres of grass with a push mower on a blazing Saturday afternoon?
- Why hasn't any other ice cream joint in the Midwest taken Dairy King's lead and offer the devastatingly delicious "crunch coat" topping?
- What was the deal with Oceana Park on Music Street, in between Auburn Rd. and Rt.44?
- How did Music Street get its name?
- What kind of establishment might have some success in the old Green Acres Tavern space?
- Does anybody besides me get a little misty when they drive by Teague Shopping Center and remember the days of Prots and Stop n' Go Video?
- Can anyone corroborate/debunk the old Newbury Video clerk's claim that there was some strange activity over at Punderson State Park back in the 60's and 70's? Alright, he didn't flat out say "aliens" or "ghosts", but he was willing to offer up that he was scared by "lots of weird, out-of-this-world stuff man."
Thanks to the hard work of the late Marian Gould Bottger for putting this wonderful brief History of Newbury together.
21 comments:
I'm wondering if Oceana Park was similar to Pioneer Waterland in Chardon?
I grew up in the home directly in from of the old Oceana Park property. I spent years playing in that old park. There were three swimming pools, a large olympic sized pool, an old fashioned wave pool and a circular diving pool. The park closed down in the late 70's when some kid drowned in one of the pools. The park remained untouched throughout my childhood until someone bought it approximately 8 years ago. There were serveral food stands, pavilions and bathrooms as well as the 3 pools. It was a much much earlier version of Pioneer Waterland. The "Oceana" arch over the main entrance stood until the property was purchased.
Thank you very much for your comment!!!!
It sounds like it was a neat place.
The park had closed before I could enjoy it as a kid, but the arch and open area behind it always fascinated me as I peddled by on my bike.
Are there any photos of Oceana Park? I am very interested.
I loved Oceana Park! I learned to swim there when I was 5. It was like paradise. The wave pool there was the most exciting wave pool ever, outside of a similar one at Brandywine, probably built 10 years later. The waves were constant and huge. Swimming in there was the most exhilarating experience ever! There was a fantastic dock in the middle of the HUMONGOUS swimming pool. We dove off there a lot. They allowed inflatable rafts and boats in the diving pool, and there was a high diving board as well as a normal diving board. Utterly fantastic. They also had picnic shelters and a great snack bar. It was the best. Pioneer Waterland, with its fancy sliding boards, could not hold a candle to it. I doubt there will ever be another place as grand as Oceana Park was. It now seems like it must have been a dream, for such a swimming paradise to ever have existed.
I have a picture of that arch.
Edward Tibor Bory claims to be a main contributor to creating Oceana Park. He was born in Hungary and he himself claims to have created the first wave pool in America in Newbury, Ohio at Oceana Park. Others have laid the same claim such as Big Surf in Tempe, AZ in 1969. The first wave pool recorded in history was built in 1927 in Hungary. Since Bory fled Hungary in a daring escape in 1957 and found a knew Homeland in the Cleveland, Oh area working for Ford Motor Company. The timing of the creation of Oceana and Bory's claim vs. Wikipedia mentions (none of which include Oceana) lead me to believe Edward Tibor Bory's family claim to be highly plausible. SEK
What was the address and is it still there?
My boyfriend’s parents bought the property and built their house on it. His backyard used to be one of the pools and one of the old bathrooms is still standing back in the woods. It still has stalls, toilets, paper towel dispensers, etc. It’s pretty cool. They still have the sign that says Oceana Park, they put it up in their cabin.
Oceana Park was forced to close because the Geauga County Health Dept. insisted:
1. The entire property (80+ acres)had be fenced in for "safety" reasons.
2. The Olympic and Dive pool filters weren't adequate by their standards and had to be completely redone.
3. The Dive pool wasn't deep enough for a 3 meter board and had to be dug deeper.
All of these requirements are what caused Oceana Park to shut down.
Rumor has it that some (powerful) people in the county with political connections wanted to purchase the property, tear down the Park and put in a housing development. The first thing they had to do was force the closure of the Park and they succeeded but the owner refused to sell the property for development.
The park did not close down "when some kid drowned". It was forced to close by the Health Dept. There were 4 pools, including " kiddie" pool to the left of the Olympic pool.There was only one snack bar located in the center of the park.
There were actually two docks in the Olympic pool. One at each end. The pool was only 6 1/2 feet deep so it was always the warmest of the pools.
Ports used to be where Mangia Mangia is today. That's before it was at Teagues shopping center.
Me and my girlfriend spent everyday in the summer at Oceana, her Mom would drop us off at 9:00 a.m. when it opened and my Dad picked us up at 5:45 p.m. on the way home from work. There was a man that did drown in the pool with the 2 docks on each end, this I know because we were there when they pulled him out. However, I can remember a lot of maintenance having to be done, so I kind of believe the Health Department probably was involved. To the individual above, I believe you meant to say Prots Food Center is where Mangia, Mangia is today, and so was the post office. Before hanging out up there as young teenagers, this is also where I took swimming lessons :)
Mangia mangia was definitely owned by Mr. Prot who lived on Fairmont Road he sold it and moved to the property Nextdoor to Sidley's after his death they changed name to Teauges and later 3 sisters I don't know what is there now
I was there when a little girl drown at the Olympic pool still haunts me
I have a picture of the arch .I found it in the woods..
It sure was nice place, tragically a little girl drown in the early 70s at the Olympic pool
I got laid there.
My friend drowned there he was in his 30s back in the late 70s it was very devastating
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